Mechanical clothes washer



Dec. 30, 1936. P. EAGELDHOF 1,787,244

MECHANICAL CLOTHES WASHER Filed Feb. 11, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet l BY A. w rN-li s's @M' we TTU NEYS Dec. 30, 1930.

P. E. GELDHOF MECHANICAL CLOTHES WASHER Filed Feb. 11, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTDRN s Dc. 30, 1930. E GELDHOF 1,787,244

MECHANICAL CLOTHES WASHER Filed Feb. 11, 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 5 //v VEN 7'0 5 AL ER/x: EYE

.within the radius of one side 0 Patented Dec. 30, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I PETER E. GELDHOF, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SYRACUSE WASHING MACHINE CORPORATION, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE MECHANICAL CLOTHES WASHER Application filed February 11, 1928. Serial No. 258,698.

This invention relates to 'a mechanical clothes washer involving the use of separate vats, one for receiving the clothes to be washed and the other for receiving thepreviously washed clothes to be rinsed and dried together with a washing mechanism in the washer vat for washing the clothes and centrifugal drying mechanism in the other vat for expelling the moisture from the clothes.

The main object is to brin the drier vat the Washer vat so'that both vats may be enclosed in one and the same cylindrical casing.

One of the specific objects is to make one of the vats in the form of a crescent and to nest the other vat in the concave side of the first-named vat within the radius of the convex side of said first-named vat.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the machine will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view, partly in elevation, of a combination mechanical clothes washer and drier embodying the various features of the invention, showing one of the legs having its lower end broken away.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view through both of the vats and drier cage showing the washing mechanism in top plan.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken in the plane of line 3--3, Figure 1, except that the motor and pump are shown in top plan.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken in the plane of line 4-4, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through a portion of the centrifugal drier cage just above the bottom showing more clearly the outlet passages between the corrugated portion and periphery of the bottom of the cage.

The frame for supporting the vats comprises a circular horizontal deck or platform 1- and a superposed horizontal annulus or ring band 2 in vertically spaced parallel relation to the platform 1 a distance corresponding approximately to the vertical height of the vats, said lower deck 1- and band -2 being secured by bolts -3- or equivalent fastening means to a plurality of, in this instance three, upright supporting legs which are arranged in uniformly spaced relation circumferentially as shown more clearly in Figure 2.

- A crescent-shaped washer vat 5 and a cylindrical drier vat 6- are mounted side byside upon the lower deck or platform 1- to project upwardly therefrom approximate- I ly the same height and are secured to said platform by suitable clamps 7- and -8- having their clampin members engaging the lower and upper sur aces of the bottoms of their respective vats.

The washer vat -5 is arranged with its convex side facing outwardly and its concave side facing the drier vat 6, the convex side being cylindrical and ,of approximately the same radius as the platform -1 so that when the washer vat is placed in o erative p0- sition its outer convex side may e disposed in vertical alinement with the corresponding periphery of the lower deck or platform The central portion of the inner concave side of the vat is also cylindrical and concentric with the axis of the drier vat -6 but of less radius than the outer convex side. The circumferential length of the washer vat is somewhat greater than half the circumferential length of the lower deck 1- but of considerably less length than the full circumference of said deck so that when placed in operative position upon the deck the central portion of the concave side will be positioned near the vertical axis of the deck leaving ample space for the reception of the drier vat -6 upon and within the periphery of the cylindrical deck.

The opposite circumferential ends or horns --5 of the crescent-shaped washer vat -5- are preferably convex or rounded with equal radii to merge with the corresponding ends of the convex and concave sides of the vat, as shown more clearly in Figure 2.

The cylindrical drier vat 6 is partially nested in the concave side of the washer vat concentric therewith and wholly within the periphery of the deck -1- and, therefore,

less resilient and tensioned so that their ends wholly within the radius of theconvex side of the washer vat so that both vats may be inclosed in one and the same cylindrical casing as shown in Figure2.

The u per ends of the vats and --.-6'- are pre erably disposed in the same horizontal plane parallel with the lower deck for receiving and supporting, an upper circular deck -9 of slightly greater diameter than 10 the lower deck and which may be removed and replaced at will when desired.

This upper deck is provided with openings 1() and .11' registering with the upper ends of their respective vats '5 5 and '-6, said openings being normally closedby lids -12- and -13 which are also removable and replaceable at will to permit access to the interiors of the correspondin vats. g hese openin --10 and 11 and their correspon lng lids -1 2 and 13- conform to the cross sectional shape of their respective vats, the opening 10 and its lid 12- being crescent-shaped and of approximately the area of the interior of the vat while the opening ,11 and its corresponding lid --13 are circular and of approximately the diameter of the interior of thedrier vat 6. Both of the vats" so 5 and -6 are preferably inclosed within an external sheet metal casing composed of circumferentially extending segments --14- of equal circumferential length and extending from the lower deck 1- to and 85 slightly above the lower edge of the ring -.2 concentric with the axis of the decks 1' and 9-- andring '2- and preferably corrugated circumferentially for stiffening purposes. These casing sections 14-- are more or 'tend to spring outwardly, but the opposite ends of each segment are loosely inserted between the inner faces of the le s4- and adjacent portions of the perip cry of the vats 5 and 6-. to assist in holding them in operative position. The lowered es of the casing sections -14 are provided with inturned flanges .14'-.interposed between-the bottoms of the vats -5 and '6 and'upper face of the deck 1 to further assist'in holdin the case sections against vertical or radia dis lacement. Y a p or a similar purpose the u per edges of the case sections are interpose between the inner face of the ring 2-'and adjacent pofitionsofthe peripheries of the vats 5 an --6. c

I The major portions of the casing sections 14-'between the deck 1 and ring 2 are held in s aced relation to the ad jacent portions of t e vats 5 and -6 to form an intervening air chamber for i sound-deadening purposes and also serve as 'under the lower edge of the ring 2- and lower end wit in the collar+22-- to extend meagre a heat-insulator to retain the heat of the washing fluid within the vats.

en placing these sections in operative positions the upper ends thereof are inserted 0 raised slightly a suflicient distance to per- 7 mit their flanges 14; to be inserted under the bottoms of the vats -5 and 6 as shown in Figure 1, these operations being reversed when removing the sections from the vats.

One part of the clamp 7 for securing the bottom of the vat 5 to the underlying portion of the deck 1 comprises a flange formed on the lower end of a post -15-- which is secured to said deck by bolts 16- or equivalent fastening means, the portions of the post below the flange being reduced in diameter and extended through a registering opening in the deck as shown in Figure 1.

The post 15- is tubular or hollow from end to end for receiving a vertically movable plunger -17-' and is provided at its upper end with a gland --18 to form a liquidtight oint with the plunger 17-.

The washing mechanism within the vat -5 may be of any suitable construction mounted upon the upper end of the plunger 17 above the gland 18- for vertical 5 reciprocatory movement with said plunger and comprises, in this instance, a head -19- having a plurality of, in this instance two, spirally sha ed spring arms 20 projecting outwar y and downwardly therefrom and caryng at theirlower ends inverted 3 cups or ashers-21- for engagement with the clothes and for producing more or less suctionv and pressure thereon as they are reci rocated.

e head 1Q- may be adjusted verticallvupon the upper end of the plunger and held in its adjusted position by any suitable locking means, not necessary to herein illust-rate or describe; 7

The clamp comprises a flanged collar no 22' having its flange secured by bolts- -23 or equivalent fastening means to the underlyin portion of the deck 1.

A tubu ar 0st --24- is secured at its upwardly therefrom into the vat 6 coaxial therewith for receiving and supporting an upwardly tapered rotar cage or basket 25- within and coaxial with the vat 6-.

The cage or basket 25+ preferably comprises a circular bottom section 25 of cast metal and an imperforate frusto-conical section 25" of sheet metal having its lower end bolted or otherwise secured to the periphery of the bottom section and its remaining portion tapered upwardly therefrom and open at the top to receive the articles to be dried. The bottom section 25' is provided with an upwardly projectingcentral hub 26 and an upturned marginal flange 26' for receiving 130 and reinforcing the lower end of the sheet metal Section said bottom section being also provided with a circumferential series of openings 26" adjacent the flange 26' for draina e purposes.

he ub 26 is journaled intermediate its en s at 28 upon the periphery of the post 24 and has its upper end extended over the top of said post and removably secured to the force from the clothes in the rotating cageis' allowed to escape into the vat 6.

That is, when the cage-25 with the wet clothes therein is rotated at sufficient speed the water contained in said clothes will be expelled by centrifugal force against the downwardly diverging walls of the cage to be deflected downwardly thereby and thence I outwardly through the passages 31' into the interior of the vat 6 and withdrawn therefrom by drainage or by a suitable suction pump presently described. The power unit includes, in this instance, an electric motor 32 having its case bolted or otherwise secured to the underside of the deck 1 and its armature shaft 33-- extended horizontally beyond the transverse vertical planes of the washer plunger 17' and drier shaft 27-- and operatively connected to the ro tary impeller of thesuitable pump 3-:t in a manner somewhat similar to that shown in my pending application Serial No. 242,613,

' filed December 27, 1927.

The intermediate portion of the shaft 33 is journaled in a gear case section 35 and is provided with a pinion --36, Figure 3, while the outer end of the shaft is journaled in the casing of the pump 34.

p The casing of the pump 34 is secured by bolts 37- or equivalent fastening means to an extension of the gear case section 35 to permit the pump to be removed and replaced without disturbing the other parts of the machine.

The gear case section 35- is also bolted or otherwise removably secured to the gear case section for the power-transmitting mechanism hereinafter described and by removing the bolts-of the pump case 34, gear case section 35- and motor case 32-, this entir unit may be removed from the machine without; disturbing the gear case for the power transmittingmechanism.

The gear case --38 is composed of sections 39 and 40 bolted or otherwise removably secured end to end for receiving and supporting the mechanisms for transmitting motion from the motor shaft --33-- to the washer and drier mechanisms.

A cap section 41 is secured to the outer end of the gear case section -39- to form therewith a closed chamber for receiving a straight line motion mechanism for operating the washing mechanism.

Another case section 42 is secured to the outer end of the case section -40- for receiving portions of the mechanism for transmitting motion from the motor shaft 33 to the centrifugal drying device.

For these latter purposes a pair of horizontal counter shafts 43- and -44- are journaled in suitable hearings in the gear case 38 and in substantially the same horizontal plane as and parallel with the motor shaft -33 but in spaced relation to said motor shaft and to each other as shown more clearly in Figure 3.

The means for transmitting rectilinear motion from the rotary shaft 43 to the plunger 17 is quite similar to that set forth in my pending application Serial No. 234,517, filed Nov. 19, 1927, in that it comprises a crank arm -45, secured to the shaft -43 and provided with an eccentric axially extending stud 46 upon which is journaled a pinion -47 meshing with a fixed internal gear ring 48 which,

in turn, is secured within the gear case section 39 coaxial with the axis of the shaft The pinion 47- is of substantially the same pitch diameter as the radius of the pitch diameter of the gear ring -48 and is provided with a diametrically extending vcrank arm -49 carrying an axially extending stud 50 having its axis coincident with the pitch circle of the pinion and. therefore, the same radial distance'from the axis of the stud 46 as the axis of the shaft -43 so that when the pinion 47- is rotated by its planetary motion around the stationary gear ring -48 the stud 50 will be moved rectilinearly and vertically in the vertical plane of the axis of the shaft 43-.v

A yoke 51 is secured to the lower end of the plunger -l7- and is journaled upon the stud 50- for transmitting rectilinear motion from said stud to the plunger or rather for reciprocating the plunger -17 axially and rectilinearly.

The means for transmitting rotary motion from the motor shaft 33 to the washer shaft 43 comprises a gear -52- meshing with the pinion 3G on the motor shaft 33- and secured to a coaxial pinion 53- which is loosely journaled upon the shaft -44-.

This pinion 53 meshes with a relatively larger gear -55 which is loosely jourstarting and stopping the rotation of theshaft 43- and washing mechanism actuated thereby.

Drier operating mechanism The outer end of the shaft 44 is geared to the lower end of the drier shaft by means of beveled gears 58-- and upon this shaft '-44 is splined a combined clutch and brake collar 59- having its inner end provided with a clutch member which is movable into-and out of frictional engagement with a clutch surface --6l on the loose gear 52 for making and breaking connection therewith.

The collar 59- is also provided with a brake flange 62- in axially spaced relation to the clutch flange -60- for receiving between them an axially movable shifting member -63- similar to that set forth in my finding application Serial No. 242,613, filed ecember 27, 1927.

The shifting member 63 constitutes a non-rotatable brake member adapted to cooperate with the brake surface 62-- and may be operated by any suitable means such as the shifting lever 54.- similar to that shown in my pending application, last referred to.

A coiled spring is interposed between the hub of the gear 58- on the shaft 44 and collar 59- for urging the collar and its brake member -60 into frictional engagement with the continuously rotating gear 52 for. effecting the rotation of the drier cage -25- through the medium of the gears 58.

When it is desired to stop therotation of the drier cage the shifting members 63- may be moved axially against the brake flange 62- to withdrawthe collar -59- from frictional engagement with the gear -52 against the action of the spring -'65 and at the same time retarding the rotation of the collar 59 and shaft 44- on which it is splined by reason of the engagement of the brake member 63 with the brake surface 62-.

The suction side of the pump 34 is connected to suitable drainage outlets 66- and --'67 in the bottoms of the vats -5- and 6- respectively for withdrawing water and moisture therefrom while its pressure side may be connected to a delivery nozzle similar to that set forth in my pending meant Operation The rotation of the motor shaft 33- will maintain continuous operation of the pump and also continuous operation of the gears 52 and 55 and when it is desired to operate the washing mechanism it is simply necessary to shift the .gear 55axially into engagement with the clutch member 56 thereby effecting the rotation of the shaft 43 and washing mechanism driven thereby.

On the other hand, if it is desired to stop the operation of the washing mechanism the clutch gear 55'-- may be moved out of engagement with the clutch member 56- When it is'desired to operate the centrifugal drier cage -25 the collar 59. ma be released to allow its spring 65-- to force the clutch member -60 into engagement with the gear --52 thereby effecting the rotation of the cage 55 through the medium of the gears 58-.

On the other hand, when it is desired to stop the rotation of the basket 25 the collar 59- may be shifted axially by means of the shifting member 53 to withdraw the clutch member 50- from engagement with the gear 52 and at the same time causing said shifting member to frictionally engage the brake surface 62- to retard and stop the rotation of the shaft 44- and drier mechanism driven thereby.

It will be noted that the vertical height of the cage or basket 31 is somewhat greater than the vertical movement or stroke of the cup-shaped dashers 21- and, therefore, of greater height than the clothes and washing fluid in the washer vat 5- for the purpose of increasing the capacity of the cage to approximately the actual working capacity of the washer vat so that the maximum batch of clothes capable of being operated upon at one time may, when thoroughly washed and cleansed, be transferred to the drier cage for drying purposes. As previously stated, the drier vat 25- is of considerably less diameter than its vertical height so that the wet clothes which are acked therein by hand may be brought as c oselyas practicable to the axis of rotation of the cage for reducing the vibration of said cage when rotated at relatively high speed in case the center of weight of the clothes should be more or less eccentric to said axis.

It will also be noted that the bearing post 24 for the shaft 27 and the hub 26 of the cageare extended some distance upwardly from the bottom of the cage into the interior thereof to assist in holding the cage against lateral vibration due to any slight eccentricity of the center of weight of the clothes in the cage as the latter is rotated. Furthermore, in case the weight of the clothes within the cage is not evenly distributed around the axis thereof, which would tend to produce more or less lateral vibration of the cage, the downwardly diverging sides or walls of the shell 25" will assist in feeding the clothes downwardly aided by-the weight of" the clothes into the larger lower end of the cage by'reason of the impact of the clothes with the downwardly and outwardly inclined walls thereby bringing the center of weight of the clothes more nearly around the bearings of the cage and shaft to further reduce the lateral vibration of said cage when the latter is rotated with the clothes therein.

Another advantage in making the cage of greater vertical height than its diameter to obtain the desired capacity of the cage is that the washer and drier mechanisms may be brought into closer or' more compact relation and this advantage is further increased by making the washing vat crescent-shaped and nesting the drier vat in the concave side of the washer vat so that both mechanisms may be brought within a circumference having a radius approximately equal to the radius of the convex side of the vat. A further advantage of this compact relation of the washer and drier mechanism together with the power unit is that the inertia of the entire machine is practically sufiicient to prevent the transmission of any vibration 5 incidental to the rotation of the drier cage with the clothes therein to the machine as a whole so that when the latter is placed in any particular position it will remain in that position even though mounted on rollers or casters without perceptible vibratory movement.

I claim: In a washing machineiof the character described, a cylindrical casing, a vat therein having a cylindrical convex side conforming to the curvature of the casing and disposed adjacent thereto and a cylindrical concave side spaced from the oppositeside of the casing and there being lobes on each side on the concave side of said 'vat, a second cylindrical vat in the casing nesting in the concave side of the first named vat, a rotary centrifuge in the second vat, a vertically reciprocating clothes washer in the first named vat including a vertically reciprocable shaft and a clothes washing element thereon projecting at each side of the shaft within the end lobes.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 30th day of January, 1928.

PETER E. GELDHOF. 

